Family Meals Matter
Want to give your kids a boost in life? Then sit down at the table and eat together as a family more often. At least three family meals together every week provides benefits that will last a lifetime. That’s right - just three. You don’t even need to eat together every single day like my childhood friends did - they grew up on farms and daily family dinners were as much a priority as feeding the cows and pigs. Three ways your kids get a boost:
Better Behavior ...

Frustrated and annoyed. That’s how I feel when I hear most of the prevailing “healthy eating” adages. “Shop only the perimeter of the supermarket.” “Don’t eat processed foods.” “Don’t eat foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce or that your grandma wouldn’t recognize as food.” “Fresh is best.”
I may be a dietitian, but I have no desire to follow any of those adages because they are too simplistic and short-sided. Too negative and guilt-inducing. And completely unnecessary if you want to be ...

Ready for my grilled pizza surprise? This kid-friendly meatball pizza on the grill is fantastic for family dinners, picnics and cookouts.
But as a dietitian, I'll bet you think I'd say no to this kid-and-family-friendly meal.
Wait! Wait! Hold on! Before you ditch your frozen pizza and stop ordering delivered pizza for family movie night, let me explain.
No. It’s not junk food. Far from it. Doesn’t matter what kind, homemade, frozen or store-bought, it always contains at least three ...

This is my husband's favorite salad. Actually it's the "vegetable" that I pack in his lunch often. But this is a great salad for any holiday or get-together.
Jeff's Favorite Asian Sweet & Sour Bean Salad Save Print Prep time 10 mins Total time 10 mins Perfect salad for make 'n take pitch-ins, lunches and time-pressed cooks. Author: Kim Galeaz RDN CD Serves: 6 - 12 servings ...

Really they're just 100% whole grain pancakes. Easy to make in one bowl. But they are now known as Papa Pancakes that's what grandson Elijah named them. Because Papa Jeff loves them. So does Elijah! And he started cooking them with me when he was 2 1/2. Easy tasks, stirring, whisking and tap-tapping to level the flour. Tasting, too. He loves to taste many ingredients in a dish. Brown sugar is a favorite, but flour not so much. He even learned how to crack eggs making these pancakes. ...

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Pork tenderloin is so versatile – grill it outside or oven roast it inside, and either way, it’s typically done in 30 minutes or less.
Pork tenderloin tastes terrific with just a simple salt and pepper rub, but it also goes with numerous flavor profiles. Sweet. Savory. Zesty. Spicy. Tangy. In less than 2 minutes you can whisk up a smoky BBQ, Cajun, Caribbean, Latin, Thai or Asian rub. Or my 3-in-1 sweet, smoky and spicy Cocoa Chile Rub. Deep chocolate flavor to compliment the smoky ...

Ever been frustrated trying to peel hard-cooked eggs so your Deviled Eggs will turn out picture perfect? I have numerous times. But with these simple tips, you'll have a better chance of more eggs turning out picture perfect - rather than rough and ripped.
How to Make Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs: Start with 1 dozen large eggs. Older eggs are better than fresher eggs to peel surprisingly. Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Don't stack the eggs. Add enough cold water to cover the ...

Cookies with perks.
That’s dietitian-speak for a cookie that gives you great flavor AND lots of health benefits. So put those extra bags of cranberries to use that are in your freezer (leftover from Thanksgiving!) and whip up a batch of these easy cookies: Cranberry Orange Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.
Hot & Spicy Grammy Perks:
*Oats for soluble fiber to help promote healthy cholesterol levels and heart
*Cranberries for natural phytonutrients that help promote healthy urinary tract and ...

Aiming to maintain, not gain, this holiday season? Well then pay attention to those nibbles, sips and bites. Because they can really add up fast and before you know it, you’ve enjoyed hundreds of extra calories in one day. And many don’t offer nutrient perks – only extra calories.
Take a look at these approximate calories:
Bite of those iced sugar cookies in the break room = 30 calories.
A big sip of pumpkin spice caramel macchiato = 55 calories.
Whittle away at co-worker’s famous ...

Touchdown! All these fall favorites - apples, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, chili, cornbread - score big time at your next celebration or tailgate party.
Intercept ho-hum tailgate sides with a batch of Maple Apple Baked Beans. Pass the apple and pear slices for my Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip. Huddle for more whole grains with my Skillet Cornbread. And tackle that bag of apples you bought by turning them into Homemade Chunky Applesauce.
Forward pass to my Recipe page for all four recipes and get in ...